20 Unconventional Entrepreneurs That Will Inspire You9252473
I only took one entrepreneurship class in college (I was a Women's Studies major at Washington University in St. Louis...we will cut THAT storyline for now). In many cases it was a parade of traditional entrepreneurship, although it was a course that is strong. For example, here were common steps heard throughout the semester:
Think of an idea.
Find out more about the heck from the thought, write a gigantic business plan, raise money, create company.
As your life is your company, wave farewell to family and friends.
By hiring one zillion folks after creating company, expand company and move into every marketplace in the world.
Following your enormous growth into a domination that is worldwide, sell your business for top dollar.
Post-sale, wash, rinse, repeat and retire to your own favorite island or return to step one.
Now, there's nothing wrong with this particular guidance per say. Actually, there was a parade of special guests through the semester that shared their story that fit into those steps one way or another.
The problem, as I see it, is less in cogency of the guidance and instead more in the limits of it. Meaning, be like, feel like, entrepreneurship definitely does not have to look like or follow most of those measures. The only sport is baseball, although it's like offering a course on sports.
Fact is, there are many kinds of entrepreneurs.
There are entrepreneurs whose entire goal is really to build a business and sell it for as much as possible or take it public. These are the "big exits" we hear about in the tech world.
There are entrepreneurs who create a company to franchise it (the E-Myth doctrine). Examples where I am from in St. Louis include a chain of tanning salons and massage parlors.
There are entrepreneurs that create factories. Possibly the factory makes cups or hats or something of the like.
There are entrepreneurs which can be in more traditional businesses who have no aspirations of selling but rather look to make a living brick and mortar design. An example may be a clothing boutique or the corner bakery.
There are Internet entrepreneurs focused on creative passive income by any means essential to earn a living (and perhaps love life on the shore or something). Example might be someone who sells vitamin nutritional supplements online.
However, there's an alternative group all together that I bet you are part of (I understand I am). And that's the unconventional entrepreneurs. Features of this group comprise:
Doing work that questions. Not just work to earn a dollar (such as selling odd vitamin nutritional supplements online..unless you are ridiculously enthusiastic about vitamins, and in that case stone on). Work that you are passionate about. Work that makes a difference. Work which is art. Money follows passion rather than the other way around.
Challenging the way it has always been done. Doing it your way. Shifting sectors which have been stayed for years (or decades or centuries). Creative disrupters.
Appreciating the fruits of our work. No, this does not mean non-traditional entrepreneurs do not work hard. It simply means we understand and live by the philosophy that there is more to life than just work (fires and hobbies outside of work, friends and family, enjoying life just how you want to).
Does this mean as an unusual entrepreneur which you can't sell your business or hire a bunch of folks? Not at all. It just means that you aren't conforming to the bounds of traditional entrepreneurs.
Since 2008, I've had the unbelievable opportunity to interview over 300 entrepreneurs of all sizes and shapes. Traditional and non-traditional. Huge companies and solopreneurs. People that have sold others and 50 firms which have started one. But I'd have to state, if I was hard-pressed, my favourite ones are the non-traditional ones (and that's where most interviews will drop in the immediate future). Mr Thomas Caufmann This is list of them, in no particular order, that I wager you'll pick up thoughts, insights and inspiration from. Enjoy!
- 1: Andrew Warner - Mixergy.com
Why? Successful unfulfilled from his previous venture, Andrew has made it his life's mission.
- 2: Ishita Gupta - anxiety.less
Why? Who says magazines have to be in print? Consistently a disrupter, Ishita is altering the publishing world through her exceptional magazine fear.less.
- 3: Tucker Max - TuckerMax.com
Why? Rejected by everyone in the publishing world, Tucker did not give up. Instead, he took his crazy, hilarious stories to the Internet and results have been astounding.
Why? Leader and the quintessential disrupter, a wrench is throwing to the publishing business together with The Domino Project.
Interview with Seth
- 5: Neil Strauss - NeilStrauss.com
Why? Might it be possible to earn an income by learning and infiltrating in the secret world of celebrities, pick up artists and multiple -passport sneaky world travelers? Neil has done it.
- 6: Chris Guillebeau - ChrisGuillebeau.com
Why? Moving to Africa? Being a specialist writer in significantly less than one year? Inspiring others to live non-traditional lives?
Interview with Chris
- 7: Matthew Inman - TheOatmeal.com
Why? By doing it his way Matt has generated an empire from his unique and hilarious comic strips.
Interview with Matt
- 8: Rob and Kim Murgatroyd - JetSetLife.TV
Why? They created among the coolest jobs ever Traveling to the world's poshest places and composing unique, insider guidebooks. Sweet.
Interview with Kim and Rob
- 9: Jason Sadler - IWearYourShirt.com
Why? What does Jason get to do? Create a variety of other goodies as well as interesting videos online and he's paid to wear tops. Sweet.
Why? Yes, all of US know Tim has inspired an incredible amount of people to work less, live more (and more recently, get in great shape), but there is a lot to understand from how Tim has created his own business and lifestyle. He is a walking version of entrepreneurship that is unconventional.
Why? The man who has built an empire around wearing a name tag everyday for the previous 10 years and counting. You've got to see it to believe it.
Interview with Scott
- 12: Michael Buckley - What The Buck
Why? Michael took a love for pop culture and turned it into his dream profession. His show, What The Dollar, is certainly one of YouTube's most popular
- 13: Adam Baker - Man Vs. Debt
Why? Can the action of sharing the insights become a business and getting yourself? Leave it to Adam Baker to turn it into one.
- 14: Chris Ducker - Virtual Business Lifestyle
Why? Chris walks the walk and talks the talk. As I type this, he is probably running his company from a shore somewhere.
- 15: Gregory Ng - Freezer Burns
Why? Two words: Frozen food. That's exactly the subject matter of the non-traditional entrepreneur's net show.
Interview with Greg
- 16: Elizabeth Marshall - Writer Telesminars
Why? She found her passion for novels and turned it into a fantastic profession. The best part might be she gets the pick of the litter when it comes to her clients.
Interview with Elizabeth
Why? Vanessa did not wait to be decided. When she was a teenager she wrote a parenting publication from a teen's perspective. Her empire has unbelievable grown since then and she gets to do what she loves every day.
Interview with Vanessa
- 18: Jonathan Coulton - JonathanCoulton.com
Why? The musician that is entrepreneurial. His business model permits him to create (and make money from) the music he needs without the bounds of a label.
Interview with Jonathan
Why? The man who is redefining the world of cartooning. And it is being done by him on his terms.
- 20: Nate Houghteling and Kai Hasson - White Collar Brawler
Why? Quitting their day jobs to become amateur boxers and make a web-based web series and movement? This stuff is just wonderful.
